Swann saddened by possible Flintoff retirement

Graeme Swann said Thursday it would be a "shame for English cricket" if former England captain Andrew Flintoff was to retire from the game completely.

Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Thursday that Flintoff was set to announce his retirement from all cricket later in the day after being told he needed another operation on his injured right knee if he was to play again.

England off-spinner Swann, speaking to Sky Sports on Thursday ahead of the third one-day international at The Oval here on Friday, said: "It's the first I've heard of it.

"If it is the case it's a shame for English cricket.

"He's been exceptional in his career for England and Lancashire.

"I'll keep fingers crossed that's not the case."

Flintoff has not played cricket since helping England regain the Ashes against Australia at The Oval in August last year.

The 32-year-old all-rounder, whose career has been blighted by injuries, particularly to his ankle and knee, retired from Test cricket after that match but then outlined his ambition to become the world's best one-day player.

However, despite subsequent surgery and rehabilitation work in the United Arab Emirates, Flintoff has been unable to return to action and had to scrap plans to play for county side Lancashire this season.

He then aimed to come back playing domestic Twenty20 cricket for Australian state side Queensland in January.

Flintoff, a pace bowler and hard-hitting batsman, played 79 Tests for England taking 226 wickets and scoring 3,845 runs after making his debut as a 20-year-old against South Africa at Trent Bridge in 1998.

His outstanding season came when England, under Michael Vaughan's captaincy, regained the Ashes in 2005.

Flintoff scored 402 runs and took 24 wickets in arguably the greatest all-round display by an English cricketer since Ian Botham transformed the 1981 Ashes series.

But that was to be the summit of his achievement with Flintoff, when Vaughan was unfit, captaining England to a 5-0 loss in the subsequent 2006/07 Ashes series in Australia.

Then Flintoff, after a late night drinking session, was found on a pedalo in the early hours in St Lucia during the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean -- an incident that saw him stripped of the England vice-captaincy.

However, there were a couple of memorable solo displays last year where only the third five-wicket haul of his Test career helped bowl England to their first Test victory over Australia at Lord's since 1938.

He also ran out Australia captain Ricky Ponting with a direct hit in the fifth and final Test at The Oval in a dismissal that ended all hopes of a successful Australian run-chase.